Opposition to the Iraq war has brought an unlikely bunch of campus political groups together.
The Ohio State chapters of the International Socialist Organization, the Libertarian Studies Organization and Ohio Students for a Democratic Society, along with Anti-War Columbus, have joined together to form the Anti-War Coalition.
The coalition will protest the Iraq war as they travel to Washington, D.C. Saturday.
“At this point, it’s pretty clear that a majority of people are against the war, but the response from Bush has been to escalate the war instead of ending it,” said Rohit Negi, coordinator of the Anti-War Coalition.
Negi believes the trip will “certainly” have an affect. He pointed to such examples as the Vietnam War and the women’s and civil rights movements as cases where mass demonstrations by students played a central role.
The Anti-War Coalition meets every Thursday night at Page Hall to plan its protests. Since its creation they have held small protests on campus and recruited people to sign up for the bus. More than 40 people have already signed up and the bus has a capacity of 55. If the demand becomes high enough, additional busses will be added, Negi said.
The bus will leave early Saturday morning, with the protest beginning that same afternoon. Negi said they will march with other student activists from around the country. The group will return home early Sunday morning.
Heather Harlow, chairman of Ohio Young Republicans, applauded the coalition for taking an interest and being a part of the political process, but offered a different point of view.
“There was a war fought many years ago that many people disagreed with that gave them the right to go ahead and be part of the protest,” Harlow said. “You’re dealing with a part of the world where the population will never get along. It’s a very difficult situation over there. Our president is doing everything humanly possible to rectify the situation.”
Zach Germaniuk, primary leader of the Libertarian Studies Organization, has no illusions about the trip.
“One protest on a Saturday will not stop the killing or bring our loved ones home, but it will be a strong statement of unity from a lot of diverse groups all saying this war was bogus from the start,” he said. “It has nothing to do with terrorism or finding Osama.”
Jessica Kania, an undecided freshman, will board the bus this weekend, but does not belong to any group. She said she heard about the protest from posters displayed around campus.
“The media is downplaying any activism,” she said. “This will turn the tide a bit.”
Chris Alexis can be reached at [email protected].
